Saturday, June 29, 2013

I am very happy to announce this fun KICKSTARTER by Nicole Grotepas!! Supporting her new release gets me a copy, which is UBER-exciting, but... there's more!! Sharing this announcement enters me in a giveaway for $100!!

YEA! It's like... getting chocolate and eating it, too!! Or having a tea party and discovering we all love the same book! Support awesome author... get copy of the book... and enter to win $100!! (Too many exclamation points? I do like them.)

Hey everyone! The Kickstarter for my next novel, A Boat Made of Bone, has launched! Watch the video above and go here to reserve your copy (digital, paperback, or hardback) now! Share the news to enter to win $100 - details below.

For those of you curious about WHAT this book is about, there's a link posted on the Kickstarter page that will allow you to read the first chapter. More chapters will be unlocked when funding is met and if we can reach stretch goals. See all the stretch rewards at the bottom of the Kickstarter info page.

I'm so excited to be doing this. I love Kickstarter and have found myself nearly ADDICTED to it. Seriously, I have to rein myself in or else I'd back every cool projecting happening ALL THE FREAKING TIME.

I'd be broke. But I'd be happy. And projects would be funded. Right?

As the campaign progresses, I'll also be posting teasers from deeper in the book, which will reveal delicious details about where the story is headed. So once you're hooked, I hope you stay tuned for more sweet delectable tidbits from my next book.

In fact, while we're talking about it, here's one now.

Will closes his eyes, unfolds his arms, and takes a deep breath. When he opens his eyes again, the intensity of his gaze sears me. “You’re right. That is what I’m doing, Kat. I’m sorry. Because—because what I was once, when I was alive, doesn’t matter to me anymore. What matters to me now is you. I find it difficult to know that you have a life that I’m not a part of.” He steps toward me and takes hold of my upper arms. His grip is tight, but not uncomfortably so. “I regretted everything I did, everything I was, until I found you. It’s a second chance, and I don’t even know why I’ve been given one. Only, I’m not real. I’m dead. And I can’t even touch you, your flesh, the real you.”

Aaaaand scene.

Well, there it is. I hope you’ve enjoyed that little foray into the depths of A Boat Made of Bone. There’s more where that came from if you stick around. Heh heh.

Remember to share this Kickstarter to enter to win a $100 gift card from Amazon or Paypal cash. The drawing will happen whenthe campaign reaches it’s funding goal. I can't wait to give someone a hundred dollars!

Friday, June 28, 2013

John William and the Bandits of Basswood

We already know Alexander Drake’s story. His father, John William started it all years before when he entered Azra’s Pith. This is his story. John William was born an explorer; just like his dad before him. His adventure really began with the worst year of his life. He lived everyday in misery until his twelfth birthday. He set out to turn things around and find his smile again. A new friend gave him an invitation he could not turn down… follow me and change your destiny. He never imagined being captured by bandits and taken to a ship riddled with river rats was part of his fate. Not just any bandits – the Bandits of Basswood; known to be a ruthless and wild crew of thieves. Trying to escape would be a ridiculous idea. No one has ever escaped and lived to tell about it. Someone should have mentioned that to John William before he snuck off the ship. The chase out of Basswood was on. He took a chance to change his destiny and ended up on a wild ride to save his life.

Author Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

Being the frizzy-haired tomboy with buck teeth gave me a slight case of shyness as a kid. A colorful imagination meant escape and adventure at the drop of a hat.
Over the years I learned that the insecurities I carried around were a waste of time. I still prefer a football game to a manicure any day of the week. That indispensable imagination has found its way into my writing providing a sense of joy and a true purpose.

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 7/10/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

While Joclyn is trapped in the tormenting hell of Cail’s mind, the battle around her only continues to grow and spread.

*

Edmund has infiltrated the underground hallways of Prague, guiding the massacre that would end the lives of the last of the great magical race. In her attempts to stop him, Wynifred has been captured and her magic restrained. Chained up in the ancient dungeons of Prague, her fate is left in the hands of her father, who has tried to kill her before.

With Ryland’s screams and Sain’s fragmented sights as her only company, Wyn must rely on something that has been hidden deep inside of her for centuries to help them break free.

*

Ilyan’s whole life has been building up to one purpose. Protect the Silnỳ. He knows what he must do, and he has no doubt in his ability to do so.

But when his father’s magic removes Joclyn’s mind from her body, he is left protecting the shell of the one person he loves. Desperate to find a way to break her free of her prison, he makes a choice. And that one choice changes everything.

Now, Ilyan finds himself bound to Joclyn in a way that he never knew to be possible. They say that blood is thicker than water, but Black Water burns, and Ilyan’s heart may not be strong enough to keep the water pumping through his veins and give the girl he loves back into his brother’s care.

Rebecca Ethington is a story teller and author from Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then in stage with years of theatrical performances. Rebecca’s first stint into the world of literary writing, The Imdalind Series, was released in October 2012 and since its release each book has been found in several top 100 lists on Amazon. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her crazy family.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

Janessa folded her arms and looked at me for so long I started to squirm. “What?”
“I wish you’d look at yourself. You’re ruining your life with this stupid obsession.”
“I’m not obsessed.” I stood up quickly, nearly tipping my chair over. I rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher. I could feel Janessa’s eyes on me the entire time, but I refused to look at her. “And just because I’m not interested in this guy doesn’t mean my life is ruined.”
“Let me guess. Was he blond?”
“Knock it off.”
“Too short?”
“He wasn’t short. I’ve got to go.” I left the kitchen with Janessa on my heels.
“Was he too cheerful?”
“Oh brother. I’m not having this conversation with you.”
Janessa grabbed my arm and turned me toward her. “Yes, you are.”
“I’m going to be late for work.”
“Then we’d better talk fast.”
“I don’t have anything to say,” I said.
“Then I’ll talk. You listen. You have to start giving these guys a chance.”
I folded my arms tightly. “I give them a chance.”
“You give them one date, two at the most. But you’re not really giving them a chance because your mind’s already made up before you even go out.”
I was getting annoyed. “I don’t have time for this conversation again.” Janessa was practically reciting word for word what she’d said after my last date. And the one before that.
“Lizzie. If you don’t want to have the same conversation, do something different. Shake things up a little.” She smiled and did a little shimmy. I refused to smile no matter how silly she looked.
“How do you suggest I do that?”
“If this guy… What’s his name?”
“Chad.”
“If Chad calls you back, go out with him again.”
“I don’t see the point.”
“Did you get a serial killer vibe from him?”
“No, I got a nice-guy-that-doesn’t-deserve-to-be-led-on vibe from him.”
“Nice guys are good. So you’ll say yes, right?”
“If I’m not interested, it wouldn’t be fair to say yes.”
“Oh knock off the baloney. You haven’t been fair to a guy since high school. You’re just afraid if you get to know a guy, you might like him. And wouldn’t that be awful? Was Chad funny?”
“Yes, he was funny.”
“Handsome?”
I sighed. “I don’t know if I’d call him handsome, but he was cute.”
“Cute is good. Especially if he was funny. So go out with him again.”
“You act like it’s all up to me.” I walked to the closet and collected my purse. Like a tiger leaping on her prey, Janessa pounced at the bowl on the entry table and grabbed my car keys. “This isn’t funny, Janessa. I’m going to be late for work.”
“Then let’s make a deal. You agree to go out with him ten times before you toss him aside and I’ll give you your keys.”
“Ten times? No way.”
“That’ll give you time to get to know him.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I’m serious, Lizzie. Ten is a good number. In that amount of time, you can make a real decision. Instead of one based on a stupid movie.”
Now Janessa was skipping through a minefield. “It’s not a stupid movie and I’ve got to go.”
“It’s the stupidest movie in the world if it ruins your life.”
“Nothing’s ruining my life and I’m going to be late. Give me my keys and we’ll talk about this later.” A little tussle ensued as I tried to rescue my keys from her clutches. I almost had them when she darted to the bathroom and shut the door hard and fast, locking it behind her. “This is real mature.”
“I don’t care about mature. You’re my best friend, Lizzie. I love you and I’m trying to save you from yourself.”
I banged on the door. “Give me the keys. Now.” My voice had become shrieky.
“I’ll give you the keys as soon as you promise you’ll go out with him ten times.”
“I doubt he’ll ask me out again.”
“Why? Were you a jerk?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
I hesitated, knowing I hadn’t been very good company. “I’m pretty sure.”
“If he doesn’t ask you out, you have to ask him.”
“No way am I asking out a guy ten times. No way!”
“You just have to ask him out once. If he doesn’t return the favor you can move on. But you have to be nice to him and give him a reason to want to ask you out again.”
“This is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.”
“Listen Liz, I’m doing this for you. Give a guy a chance before you give him the old heave-ho.”
I leaned my head on the door. “Just give me the keys. Please.” Now I was whining.
“You’re the one keeping yourself from your keys. And probably true love.”
I looked at my watch. Now I’d have to risk a speeding ticket or get to work five minutes late. I wasn’t sure which was worse—a ticket from a police officer or a tongue-lashing from Delia.
“Fine. I’ll go out with him again if he asks me.”
“And?”
“If he doesn’t ask me, I’ll ask him?”
“Right. And how many times will you go out with him?”
“Way too many,” I said under my breath.
“I can’t hear you.”
“Ten times. If he asks me.”
The door cracked open. “And you’ll be nice to him?”
“Whatever you say. Now give me the keys.”
Janessa emerged from the bathroom and triumphantly dropped my keys into my outstretched hand.
“You’re an idiot,” I said.
“An idiot that loves you and wants you to be happy,” she said. She turned and headed down the hall. “Someday you’ll thank me,” she sang.
“If I don’t kill you first.” I slammed the door behind me.

Excerpt 2

It was a busy Monday morning. I was looking out at the line of waiting customers when he walked in. I gasped, shut my thumb in my cash drawer, and then tried not to cry while Mr. Sandoval from a hearing aid store asked me if I was okay.
When I finished Mr. Sandoval’s transaction, I looked at him again. He was taller than anyone in the room. Of course. His hair was dark and a little disheveled. It was hard to see from where I was, but his eyes looked like they were blue. And best of all, he didn’t smile. He looked gorgeously unpleasant and impatient. He looked around the room and his eyes met mine. Still he didn’t smile. My heart was racing. He looked perfect.
I did my best to time it so I’d be his teller. I went a little too fast with one customer and accidentally shorted her a twenty dollar bill. I tried to concentrate as I corrected the transaction. I slowed way down on the next customer, but just when I thought I was finished and would be able to help him next, my customer asked me to break a ten into change. He walked up to Courtney’s window while I counted out nickels and dimes. Furious, I stomped my foot. Not too loudly but enough to release a little of my frustration.
I listened closely as Courtney helped him to see if I could learn anything, but he hardly spoke. He gave a terse nod when Courtney thanked him for coming in and turned on his heel and left. He had excellent posture and a nice, confident stride.
I finished with my customer, and then before anyone else could step forward, I picked up the phone and dialed Courtney’s extension. She glanced at her phone’s display and looked over at me curiously.
“Who was that?” I whispered when she picked up the receiver.
“Elizabeth, look how many customers there are.”
“I know. Just tell me who that was.” I watched as Courtney picked up her last transaction slip.
“His name is Matt Dawson.”
“Is he married?”
“I have no idea,” Courtney said.
“Was he wearing a ring?”
“I didn’t look. What’s going on, Lizzie?”
“I just need to know about him.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about him and Delia’s watching us. I’ve gotta go.”
Matt Dawson. Matt. Matthew. Like Matthew Macfadyen. Dawson. It was pretty close to Darcy. The only way it could be better is if his name was Fitzwilliam but I’d never met a Fitzwilliam in my life.
Matt Dawson.
This had to be a sign.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy (Book 2)After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

Jack and his friends, Will and T-Rex, are headed to the Monster Hunter Academy with Eva. Jack was thrown into a confusing situation in Book 1 and that was all about survival and now he's ready to hear some answers! Getting to the Academy won't be easy and, once he arrives, not everyone is happy to see him or ready to embrace him as the One. Jack doesn't look like anyone special and he doesn't feel it, either, so he will need to be thoroughly tested to see if he can handle the pressure. Jack, Will and T-Rex each have their own agenda once they reach the Academy and their friendships are tested. Will Jack get the answers he needs? Will he survive the challenges he faces? Will he be able to keep his friendships intact?

Another great book! Again, it starts with a warning about monsters and that if you read this book, you become fair game for monsters. He also warns about blood, gore, death and kissing (although the kissing is very minimal). That's a pretty good warning. If your children are queasy, don't have them read this yet. I felt that Book 1 was pretty action packed but this felt nonstop. Especially towards the end. I thought poor Jack would get a rest and immediately he would be on to fight the next battle. Hopefully he'll have a little time to recover for Book 3.

I felt that the plot moved along well and enjoyed learning some answers along with Jack. There's still enough we don't know which will make reading the next book just as much fun as reading this one was! We learn some information about their mission at the end which doesn't make it appear that this series will be ending anytime soon, so hopefully Mr. Gunhus will keep these coming!!My Rating=5 stars

If you're still undecided, here's an excerpt:

We gathered our things and thanked the captain and crew for their
help. Since the Aquamorph, they had kept their distance from us. Sailors
were a superstitious bunch to begin with and having their ship attacked
by a fog monster had made it even worse. They were nice enough, but it
was clear that they were happy to be rid of us.

The four of us walked through the abandoned shipyard. I’ll be
honest with you, it was super-creepy. The dilapidated buildings all had
shadowy openings that could hide monsters ready to attack us. I noticed
that Eva had unscrewed the regular grasping hook she used for her
missing hand and replaced it with a dagger. She had felt it too.
Something was wrong. I followed her lead and put my hand on my sword.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Just keep walking. Don’t draw attention.”

“What’s going on?” Will whispered back.

“We’re
being followed,” Eva replied. Will, T-Rex and I immediately scanned the
buildings around us. Eva hissed at us under her breath. “You daft
idiots. I said don’t draw attention.”

I faced forward, a little embarrassed. “What now?” I asked.

“Now
we find out who it is,” Eva said. She smashed her foot onto a glass
bottle on the ground and spread out the pieces with her toe. We turned a
corner and Eva shoved us into the empty doorway of one of the
buildings. Then she crouched to the ground and waited.

In less than a minute, we heard footsteps approach us—soft at
first, barely discernible. Then a loud crunch followed as whoever was
stalking us stepped onto the glass. Eva whipped around the corner and
Will, T-Rex and I followed right behind.

There was no one there.

Eva glanced around, searching
the closest possible hiding spaces. A little rock pinged off the top of
her head. We all spun around and looked up at the roofline.

There
was a boy, probably sixteen, with stiff, spiky hair and intense blue
eyes, standing on the roof, making no effort to hide. He was dressed in a
black outfit similar to Eva’s, but this one was more tight-fitting and
showed off a muscular physique. The boy broke out into a wide smile. Eva
shook her head and slid her sword back into its sheath.

“Daniel, you’re lucky you didn’t get killed,” Eva said.

“Are you kidding? Your vacation has made you soft,” Daniel replied.

“You want to play it out?” Eva asked. “See how the actual fight would go?”

The boy jumped down from the roof and landed lightly in front of
us, clearly pleased with himself. “No thanks. I know when to stop. I’m
not stupid.”

“The self-control is new,” Eva said. “But the self-awareness is about the same as when I left.”

Daniel leaned in to hug Eva, but she turned her body away from him. “Let me introduce you to the new recruits,” she said.

This
wiped the grin off his face. He looked like he wanted to say more but
turned self-conscious when he saw Will, T-Rex and I watching him. He
turned toward Will. “So, you’re the great hope for the Black Guard. I’m
Daniel. One of the instructors at the Academy.” He shook Will’s hand.

“Good to meet you. But the great hope, if you want to call him that, is this guy,” he said, nodding to me.

Daniel
turned and looked me over. I held out my hand but he didn’t shake it.
He looked disappointed. “Yes, well, if you say so.” He turned back to
Eva. “Come on, we’ll just make the train if we hurry.” He grabbed Eva’s
bag and walked on ahead of us.

I lowered my hand and picked up my own bag.

“He just left you hanging, didn’t he?” said T-Rex. “That’s not very polite.”

“Don’t
worry about it,” Eva said. “He’s one of the best hunters we have, but
he can be a real jerk sometimes. Trust me, I know. Don’t let it bother
you.” She set off after him.

But Daniel did bother me. The way he had tried to hug Eva. The
whole thing with the handshake. And there was something about the way
Eva had looked at Daniel, too. Trust me, I know. What did that mean
anyway?

“I thought he was kind of cool,” Will said. I gave him a hard look. “To me, anyway. Come on, let’s catch up.”

Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.

I found this book through a blog tour when I first started blogging and read it. You can read my review on it HERE.

Author Jeff GunhusJeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievable discoveries. Now, with five children of his own (all who watch too much television, in his opinion), he has enjoyed revisiting his old books and reliving those adventures all over again.